Sunday 21st July, 2019

Sekondi, July 21, GNA - Mrs Deborah Daisy
Kwabia, the Deputy Western Regional Director of Social welfare, has said sexual
reproductive health right is key to obtaining sustainable development in the
country.

She said proper education on reproductive
health rights would help young people achieve their potential as well as
enhance development.

"Providing adolescents with evidence
based and comprehensive sexual education will help prevent unwanted pregnancies
and the spread of STIs".

Mrs Kwabia was speaking at the celebration
of the World Population Day (WPD) in the Western Region held under the theme:
"Reproductive Health and Gender Equality for sustainable
development".

The Deputy Regional Director said "If
we have a well-educated, healthy, and economically empowered youth, the
fortunes of the nation will transform positively".

Mr David Gorman Hamond, Deputy Regional
Coordinating Director, said the development of any country was tied to its
knowledgeable and healthy youth population.

He
said government has adopted various international and national conventions,
policies and programmes which would have implications on individuals and
families.

Mr Hamond said national commitment to
universal basic education, gender equality, equity and empowerment of females,
wealth creation and employment were some of the programmes put in place to
address the needs of the youth.

He said the policies were meant to
complement the number of existing national policies and action plans which
would respond to the needs of the population and to the youth.

Mrs Freda Owusu-Ansah, the Regional Population
Officer, said Ghana's Population is currently projected to be 30.3 million with
an annual growth rate of 2.2 per cent out of which 38.8 per cent are under 15
years.

She said the projected figure indicates that
there is a rapid population growth rate of youth between 15-25 years.

Mrs Owusu-Ansah said there is the need for
the government to make more progress to address the demographic situation so
that it does not affect the growing population.

She said the 2000 Population census reveals
that the Western Region grew from 1.9 million to 2.3 million in 2010 with a
growth rate of 2.0 percent and that it could increase to 4.8 million by 2040.

Mrs Ansah said the region has a youthful
population and this accounted for its numerous adolescents and reproductive
health challenges.

The Regional Population Officer said with
the region's robust mining sector, timber and fishing industry and the recent
discovery of oil and gas in commercial quantities, it would attract both local
and foreign migrants.

Mr John H.K Ahiable of the Ghana National
Association of Teachers (GNAT), who presided, called on the public to consider
the issues of population very seriously so as to find pragmatic solutions to
the demographic dividend.